Aguirre Scores 22 in Blue Basketball's 50-44 Setback To Regis at Clark Holiday Classic

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Junior Caitlin Aguirre (El Paso, Texas) scored a game-high 22 points but Wellesley College basketball came-up just short in a 50-44 non-conference setback to Regis College on Sunday afternoon at the Clark Basketball Holiday Classic.

Aguirre and classmate Emily Kopp (King Ferry, N.Y.) each earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team for the Blue, who dropped to 5-5 overall following this weekend's action. Regis is now 2-7 on the season. 

Aguirre was 5-for-10 from three-point range in 36 minutes of action to lead the Blue. Kopp scored ten points and added five rebounds for Wellesley. First year Caitrin Spottiswoode (Storrs, Conn.) grabbed four boards in 13 minutes off the Wellesley bench.

Regis junior Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds and senior Sam D'Angelo (Woburn, Mass.) added nine points and four rebounds to earn All-Tournament honors. Senior Maura Russell (Braintree, Mass.) matched D'Angelo with nine points, adding six rebounds and a pair of assists. 

Regis jumped to a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, ending the quarter on an 11-2 run after Wellesley opened the game with a 5-2 advantage. Aguirre scored all seven Blue points in the first quarter, shooting 3-for-4 from the floor. Wellesley rallied to take the lead in the second stanza, limiting the Pride to six points. The Blue tied the game, 17-17, on a Daisy Ella Johnson (Westport, Mass.) jumper at 3:58. Back-to-back layups from Spottiswoode and Aguirre gave Wellesley a 23-19 advantage at the half.

Kopp gave the Blue their largest lead of the game at the start of the second half, hitting a layup to make the score 25-19 at 9:49. However, Regis went on to outscore the Blue, 14-7, in the third quarter, turning a six-point deficit into a 31-30 lead when D'Angelo dropped in a layup at 1:44. Junior Taylor Iorfino (Monroe, Conn.) added the final bucket of the quarter to send the Pride into the fourth with a 33-30 lead.

Regis would increase their advantage to as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, taking a 40-30 lead with 7:22 left in regulation. The Blue trimmed the deficit to five, at 46-41, when Aguirre hit a triple with 2:38 left, but Regis would hang on to close out the 50-44 victory. 

Regis shot 42.6% (20-for-47) from the field while Wellesley countered at 37.5% (18-for-48). The Pride had a 38-24 advantage in rebounds.

Wellesley will travel to Coast Guard in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday, January 5, at 1:00 PM. Regis will play at Brandeis on January 1 at 1:00 PM.